5 Things To Know When Exercising Your "White Privilege" Muscle

Are you white? Do you get angry when you read articles about racial issues? Never fear! I present to you, the best lifting program for adding gains to your "White Privilege" muscle!

5 Things to Know When Exercising Your "White Privilege" Muslce

1) It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

I am white, middle-class, heterosexual male. I'm also an amateur Power Lifter. Any seasoned lifter will tell you that strength gains take time. You can't just waltz in the gym, pick up a set of dumbbells, and wake up the next morning swole as an ox. You apply resistance, and eventually, your body and nervous system will adapt.

Just the same, you can't expect your racial indifferences to disappear after reading one Malcolm X Biography. Understanding of white privilege in the modern era is a muscle that NEEDS to be exercised daily. Routinely ask yourself thoughtful questions about identity and race, and before you know it, you'll be squatting 500 in the white ally category.

2.) Embrace the Discomfort

Yet again, we grow only when we come up against resistance. For some, that resistance is confusing, or disorienting. No pain, no gain.

White folks, who are unaware of their inherent privilege, immediately get defensive when the idea of race gets brought up. It's a biological imperative. Protect your own kind, right? Still, there's no reason NOT to fight our biology on this one.

We no longer have room in our gloriously multicultural society for this kind of response. Fellow white folks, I implore you, embrace the discomfort, it's natural. Just don't confuse your programmed feelings of discomfort for anger, or resentment.

3) Eat A Lot and Eat Often

Common knowledge: if you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. As a Power Lifter, I've had my fair share of 7-Eleven pizzas, and Chipotle burritos, to say the least.

As an advocate for change, you need to "fill yourself up," so to speak, with knowledge. The more you read and learn about white privilege, the bigger your muscles will get. A person can exercise four days a week, but without proper technique and form, there's no telling them how long it will take to achieve their goals.

4) Inspire new "Lifters"

Robert W. Jensen, a favorite scholar, writes: "A first step for white people, I think, is to not be afraid to admit that we have benefited from white privilege. It doesn't mean we are frauds who have no claim to our success. It means we face a choice about what we do with our success."

It is every weightlifter's duty, to pass on the knowledge that was formerly imparted on them. Once you've made your gains, it's your responsibility to help another lifter out! Don't let your newly acquired understanding of white privilege stagnate. Get in the gym and use your "success" to inspire the next generation of white allies!

5) DON'T Over-train

As a person who loves training, I'm often tempted to hit the gym for consecutive days--go until I drop! Of course, without proper rest intervals and periodization in training, I run the risk of injury. My muscle growth and strength gains begin to decline.

Similarly, I believe there is a point at which our activism can be reductive. For instance, if you spend all your time looking for micro-aggressions, and racial inequity, you may start to expect the worst from people, all the time. Not to say we shouldn't be vigilant. Just, don't forget to take a few rest periods here and there. Remember to appreciate the good. Recharge your nervous system for the next important training session.